William Sangster

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William Sangster

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Born| 1831

Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Died| 06 April 1910

Toorak, Victoria, Australia

Burial place| St Kilda Cemetary
Nationality| Scottish-Australian
Occupation| Nurseryman and Garden Designer
Known for| Played a major role in the design and establishment of substantial public and private gardens.

William Sangster, the Scottish-born nurseryman and garden designer played a major role in the establishment of substantial public and private gardens in the period of the early development of Melbourne, Australia. He was instrumental in introducing the picturesque style of landscape design to Melbourne and its environs.[1]

His notable designs for public gardens include Carlton Gardens in Carlton, Daylesford Public Garden, and Victoria Gardens in Prahran.

His notable designs for private gardens include Como House in South Yarra, Rupertswood in Sunbury, Rippon Lea Estate in Elsternwick, Stonington mansion in Malvern, and Ard Choille at Mount Macedon, Victoria. [2]

In the 1880s he influenced public taste and appreciation for gardens by writing extensively for The Australasian newspaper using the pseudonym 'Hortensis'.[2]

## Life and career[edit]

1831 Sangster was born in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He worked in the celebrated gardens at Hamilton Palace near Glasgow in Scotland which is said to have had a profound influence on his design style. At the age of 22 years, he emigrated to Victoria, Australia in December 1853.[2]

1854 He initially worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne under Curator John Dallachy who he had worked under at Hamilton Palace. For nine months he worked as a gardener for Mr Dickenson at Mt. Pleasant near the vicinity of Kensington Rd in South Yarra.[3]

1855-1866 In December 1855 he was appointed head gardener and overseer at Como House by John Brown.[4]

In this time he oversaw the design and development of the site utilising the principles of Picturesque garden design. The design incorporated an elaborate five acre ornamental garden and new carriageway from the main road on the Northern boundary. He also established several productive areas of orchards and vegetable gardens on the slopes down to the river. Along the southern Yarra River boundary he planted willows, poplars and Dutch elms which augmented the "borrowed view". Many elements of his design remain and the surviving trees are magnificent specimens.[1]

When Brown’s bank sold to George Armytage he remained until mid-1866.[4]

1856 He married Janet Yates in Melbourne.

1866 Toorak Nursery. He formed a partnership with William Taylor in mid-1866. Earlier in 1864 Taylor had established the Vice Regal Nursery in Toorak Rd (on the corner of Wallace Ave) after working at Government House in Toorak. The business was then renamed Taylor & Sangster.[2] This business continued until the site was sold by his daughter Janet Yates Sangster in 1907.

1874 – 1876 Rupertswood, Sunbury was designed on a grand scale for Sir William Clarke on a 60-acre site. Sangster created the expansive gardens surrounding the house using many of the elements from his “Picturesque” repertoire including a rockery, gullies, lakes, an extensive excavated gully fernery and created hills and dales to achieve the full effect.[2]

1875-1930 In 1875 Taylor & Sangster established a nursery business at Mount Macedon.[2] After Sangster’s death in 1910 his share of the nursery went to his daughter Jane Yates Sangster who acquired the whole of the nursery in 1912 and continued to run it successfully until 1930.[5] The site was sold in 1930.

1879-1880: Carlton Gardens, Carlton. In February 1879 Sangster was engaged as a contractor to redesign and redevelop the gardens in preparation for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition.[6]

1881-1884 Rippon Lea Estate, Elsternwick. Sangster was engaged as a consultant by Frederick Thomas Sargood for significant re-design work. In 1882 the Nursery lawn replaced flower beds. In 1883 the lakes were significantly expanded, and the hill and lookout were created.[1]

1884 In 1884 the Daylesford Borough Council commissioned William Taylor and William Sangster to re-design and create the Daylesford Public Garden at Wombat Hill (now Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens). Of the design based around the extinct volcano of Wombat Hill, little remains except the cascade and fernery.[7]

1885 Victoria Gardens, Prahran were designed and created by Sangster. The design remains relatively intact with only minor changes made to the scheme by Edna Walling in the 1940s. The plan of the original design is held by Stonington History Centre and has notations by Sangster.[8] [9]

1892 Stonington mansion, Malvern. The house was built for John Wagner, a partner in Cobb & Co coaches, who commissioned Sangster to design and create the gardens. The design included a grand terrace at the rear, extensive lawns, parterres and shrubberies with an orchard and vegetable garden beyond.[3] (Ref Sangster Diary 1892.)

1896 Sangster designed and oversaw the creation of Ard Choille, on the north side of Mount Macedon which is notable for the intactness of his original design. The very steep site was planted with a fine collection of rhododendrons and other plants requiring a cool-temperate climate. Sangster utilised the steep site to create terraces and mini “lochs” and a series of three cascades using a water reticulation system.[1]

Sangster wrote extensively for The Australasian newspaper during the 1880s using the pseudonym 'Hortensis'.[10]

1910 He died age 79, in Toorak, Melbourne, Australia.[10] He is buried with his family at St Kilda Cemetery.

## References[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vale, Anne (2013). Exceptional Australian garden makers of the 20th century. Middle Park, Vic.: Lothian Custom Publishing Pty Ltd. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-1-921737-11-4. OCLC 853501665.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Foster, John (1989). Victorian picturesque : the colonial gardens of William Sangster. Parkville, Vic., Australia: History Dept., University of Melbourne. pp. 1–14. ISBN 0-86839-836-5. OCLC 26718962.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sangster, William. "Papers, 1852-1933. [manuscript]". find.slv.vic.gov.au. OCLC 223077023.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Black, Beryl J. (1991). John Brown 1804-1871, known as John "Como" Brown and "Brown of Como", who owned, extended and developed "Como" 1853-1864. foreword by Andrew Mackenzie. Melbourne: B.J. Black. p. 3\. ISBN 0-646-07351-6. OCLC 27551187.
5. ↑ The Oxford companion to Australian gardens. Richard Aitken, Michael Looker, Australian Garden History Society. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press. 2002. p. 591\. ISBN 0-19-553644-4. OCLC 677232213.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
6. ↑ Lovell Chen (June 2008) [October 2007]. "Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens World Heritage Management Plan - conservation management plan - Volume 1 - main report" (PDF). Heritage Victoria.
7. ↑ "Friends of Daylesford Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens - History". www.wombathill.org.au. 2012.
8. ↑ Rowland, Charles (City Surveyor, Prahran) (1885) [08 June 1885]. "Plan of Victoria Gardens". Stonnington Library.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
9. ↑ Green, Elahna; O’Connor, Tracey; Burke, Caitlin (2001). "Friends of Victoria Gardens Prahran (2001) Detailed history". Burnley College, Melbourne University.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "HORTICULTURAL NOTES". The Australasian. 1910-04-16. p. 10.

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